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Robert and Sarah, 33, met after they crossed paths on a night out in Nottingham city centre in 2003.

Within two years the pair, who now live in Nuthall with their two children Esmai, three, and Savannah, 15 months, got engaged.

Caterer Sarah said: "We were on Cocoa Beach in Florida on New Year's Day when he got down on one knee and proposed.

"We started planning the wedding when we got back home but the cost and choices were so overwhelming it just got put on the back-burner.

"Then the children came along and it just seemed like less of a priority."

She added: "He is the life and soul of the party, he's very loud and outgoing but he can also be really, really romantic sometimes.

"About five years ago, when I was working at Gingers on Western Boulevard, he filled the entire shop with about 50 red balloons as a surprise.

"The customers were talking and smiling about it all day long."

The young family felt like they had it all but then a series of tragic events rocked the couple.

Over the course of just six months Robert and Sarah's family home was burgled and they lost a substantial amount of jewellery as well as iPads, a computer and – most devastatingly – cash they had been saving for their wedding day.

Months later Robert was attacked on a night out in town after being caught in the middle of an argument between seven men.

Then just one week before Christmas 2012, Robert and Brian were involved in the smash. Brian was 60 years old.

Robert was left fighting for his eyesight after glass was lodged in his eyes, he also lost a finger and now suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome.

He said: "I called Brian my father-in-law but really he was more like a friend – I spoke to him almost every day.

"Soon after I proposed to Sarah I realised that I hadn't asked Brian for his permission but it felt kind of weird because it was more like I was asking a mate to marry his sister.

"In the end I just texted the land line because I didn't have the nerve to do it face-to-face."

Robert's mum Vicki Wood, 53, who moved to Texas six years ago, said the marriage was Brian's dying wish.

She said: "Brian's last words were 'Marry my daughter, make sure my wife is okay and look after my grandchildren.

7 comments

im sure her in the pic owns the cob shop on nuthall road gingers??? mite b wrong but dont really need any money for a wedding does she if its her. says they got a house in nuthall aswell. dont seem that bad off money wise if u ask me

Correct me if I'm wrong but some of the other stories I've read are equally as worthy, to judge others and say you are worse off than anybody else isn't right; and it's hardly a way to go about getting a quick vote! I've read other stories where people have had cancer, lost loved ones, been battling for their lives and have lost absolutely everything and I hope that people would not be dire enough to make all of that up. Your attitude will get you nowhere, you need to learn some respect youth and don't be so quick to judge in life. All i'm saying is that a lot of it sounds far-fetched such as the insurance etc? It's not just these people it's others too who think it's their god given right to be given everything if they have mishaps in life; people need not feel sorry for themselves and pick themselves up and carry on. This is life and bad things happen every day to many people who have to carry on and pay for their own things.

I think Vicki-f and paulnffc would rather the free wedding go to a couple that looked like their from benefit streets that's just met. Out of all the "scrounging X factor sob stories" I've read in the run up to this competition this one is the most worthy. They've been together for a long time tried saving for a wedding but where burgled. Insurance company's don't pay out for loss of cash. Months later to lose a loved one in an RTA is extremely hard especially for the lad to be in the car with his girlfriends dad in which he was servely injured himself.

I partially agree 'Vicki-f' also did these people not have insurance for their wedding money, jewellery etc - surely so in todays society? It is a very sad story but unfortunately bad things happen to everyone at some point in our lives and when this happens one must pick themselves back up again and carry on. I don't think trying to get a free wedding from a series of unfortunate events (which may happen to us all anytime in life) is the way forward - or am I missing something? Time shall be the healer not a free wedding. I for one shan't be voting .

Another xfactor style sob story. They don't look like they don't have any money to pay for their own wedding. People are scroungers now days. Not like back in my day when people saved up their own money to pay for a wedding